U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after an announcement today from the United States Postal Service (USPS) saying they will invest in charging infrastructure and deploy over 66,000 electric vehicles by 2028 – making a majority of new vehicle purchases electric. This announcement comes after Peters helped secure $3 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to help the Postal Service purchase electric delivery trucks and invest in charging infrastructure:
“Today’s announcement is a significant step to ensuring the Postal Service’s vehicle fleet is safer, more energy efficient and cheaper to operate in the long run. Electric vehicles are the future of the automotive industry and that is why I worked to secure major investments for the Postal Service so they can purchase more electric delivery trucks as they continue to add more vehicles to their fleet. I will continue my efforts to ensure the Postal Service is using funds from the Inflation Reduction Act effectively, push for every part of the postal fleet to be environmentally-friendly and union-made, and ensure this essential institution provides timely service to the American people for generations to come.”
Peters has led other efforts to ensure the Postal Service acquires more electric vehicles. In part due to his urging, the Postal Service previously announced that they intended to expand certain electric vehicle purchase orders to at least forty percent. Peters convened a committee briefing in April with USPS to discuss efforts to modernize the Postal Service’s aging delivery vehicle fleet – including by acquiring electric vehicles and prioritizing union-made vehicles. Last year, he sent a letter to Postal Service leadership urging them to prioritize the acquisition of electric vehicles to ensure the fleet is sustainable for the Postal Service and for our environment.
Peters has also led other efforts to modernize the Postal Service and protect their nearly 250-year tradition of reliable delivery. His historic, bipartisan legislation to set the Postal Service on a more sustainable financial footing and support the goal of providing long-term reliable service across the country was signed into law. In 2020, Peters championed legislation to secure a $10 billion direct payment to the Postal Service to help recover from pandemic-related losses. He also conducted an investigation into operational changes at the Postal Service in 2020 that resulted in significant delays. Following Peters’ investigation, the Postal Service reversed many of these changes and service has significantly improved.
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